| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.63 |
| Liaison | Leslie North |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Western Kentucky University
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.80 / 1.00 |
Madeline
Petty Graduate Assistant Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
VeoRide provided bike share services to the campus community in 2019. In 2022, WKU made an agreement with Wheels to provide electric bikes to campus for rent at low prices. Wheels electric scooters were available during the 2022-23 year to students and campus population to rent and travel around campus and the town of Bowling Green. Wheels pulled from the agreement in spring of 2023, so WKU is actively developing an RFP to bring electric micro mobility bikes or scooters back to campus for campus transportation to reduce private vehicle use on campus for the future. The contract will include partnership with the City of Bowling Green.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
The Carless Program is an incentive package to encourage campus residents to leave their cars at home for Fall Semester. Participants receive discounts for transportation services offered through the Parking and Transportation Services Department. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of cars on campus during our busiest time of year – Fall Semester. Students who participate get discounts on car share services such as Enterprise, micro mobility programs such as Wheels, rebates for airport shuttle, parking passes for move in/move out, future parking permit discounts, etc.
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
There are currently 3 EV charging stations on campus. Two are for public use and are located in the LEEDS certified garage.
Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
Does the institution have other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
A brief description of other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting:
1. WKU Topper Transit provides convenient, FREE transportation to all visitors, students, faculty, staff, etc., on campus, to and from nearby apartment complexes, and to and from nearby commercial areas. WKU has twelve 40' low floor heavy duty transit buses, 1 ADA hybrid minivan, 1 minivan, 1 multipurpose vehicle. Each shuttle makes an average of 16 round trips per day with around 430 passengers per day. Three fixed day service routes move passengers from point to point around campus. On Saturdays, an off-campus route (Green Line Shopping Shuttle) is used to transport passengers to and from area shopping centers, including grocery store access. Para-transit service is provided at no charge for disabled passengers and requires registration with PTS. All Topper Transit buses are ADA and wheelchair accessible.
2. Parking and Transportation developed a "Car-Less" program to provide incentives for campus residents to leave their vehicles at home during the Fall Semester.
3. Recognizing the increasing demands and necessary balancing between employees'personal lives and the workplace, alternative work arrangements may assist a unit/department in recruiting and retaining of employees and in maximizing employee potential. Employees may benefit from alternative arrangements through more concentrated time off, a decrease in the number of commute days and by working a schedule that allows for increased productivity because of work flow changes. In seeking to make workplace expectations and employee needs as compatible as possible, supervisors/department heads are permitted to consider and approve alternative work arrangements when requested by employees and when unit/ departmental needs can accommodate such. Supervisors/department heads are
accountable for ensuring continued efficient operations. A compressed workweek refers to a workweek (totaling 37.5 hours) that is condensed into fewer than five (5) days. Under this arrangement, employees may work longer days for part of a given week in exchange for shorter days or days off during the remainder of the week.
4. WKU has extensive bike rack availability across campus to encourage biking as transportation, limiting private vehicle use in transportation to campus.
5. WKU PTS is working to develop a formal transportation demand management program for campus that would include ride-matching services, carpool incentives, etc. This project was delayed due to COVID, but is back on track.
6. WKU is continually redesigning the public transportation system to result in more opportunities to travel to and from campus by bus for faculty, staff, and students.
7. After the previous contract was ended by the transport company, WKU is actively developing a new RFP to bring back electric micro mobility bikes and/or scooters back to campus for campus transportation to reduce private vehicle use on campus for the future.
8. WKU is in the process of developing a micromobility policy for campus. The committee working on that project has been developed and preliminary data are collected to make an informed decision.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainable transportation is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data provided by WKU Parking and Transportation Services.
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